Kolkata – the city of Joy

On Sunday, November 2^nd, 2014 our plane landed at the Netajii Airport, Kolkata. After a tense day back home in Bangladesh I came to the Dhaka airport safe and sound amongst the strike. It is my second visit to Kolkata by air and for the second time I face same problem (self created) at the immigration. Back in 1997 when I came here last, I had to wait for about an hour to get clearance. That time I came to India to attend the International Conference on General Relativity and a short-term visit to the Institute of Physics, Bhubaneswar. I landed at night and had to stay here for at least a night they asked my address in Kolkata. I had no problem about that as my two brothers were living in Kolkata, but I didn't know their address and I didn't need that as they were coming to receive me at the airport. But it was hard to convince them. Fortunately, I had their tel. Numbers. They phoned my brother and clarify everything. This time my brother wrote me his address before leaving for Kolkata on 1^st November (He came to Bangladesh on 23^rd October and went back on1^st November just to meet me on 2^nd). And as usual I forgot that (I found that paper in my luggage afterwards). This time I am visiting different places in India to give seminars. I showed them the invitation letters. But they needed an address. Finally, he told me write any address I could remember, and I tried to recall and finally wrote an address which came out to be too funny. Nevertheless, I was cleared to go ahead. No need to mention that I was the last man to come out. This time nobody tried to test my knowledgein Russian. Last time when I was waiting and trying to convince them,even was ready to give them a talk on cosmology, suddenly someone asked me to translate a simple sentence into Russian (I told them that I live in Russia, worked there, married etc., even showed them my family photos). It worked. I asked him whether he knew Russian.His reply was negative. But he told it was a psychological test. From my reaction he understood I was not cheating (those days a lot of people from Bangladesh went to Russia through Kolkata).

 

So, I am here in Kolkata.Took a taxi and went with my brother Kalyanda to his place at NagerBazaar. Keeping the luggage and taking bath rushed for Swapanda's house. He is a doctor, anesthesiologist, so he has no strict timetable. Fortunately, he was at home as well as his wife and daughters. I know his daughters well through facebook and we chat a lot there. But in practice they happen to be less talkative. On our way to Swapanda I noticed a lot of Puja Mandaps with hundreds of people rushing there. This was quite new to me. I have never seen a Puja in a Big city. Before moving to Russia in 1983 I attended thePuja in my village Tara, sometimes went to the nearby villages. But they were nowhere near what I saw here. Moreover, it was Jagadhatripuja, I know about it from Calender (Panjika), but never watch it live. So, when we came back home quite late, I asked Kalyanda to take me back there. The Pratima itself was beautiful, but the Mandaps were indeed artistic. And it would have been a sin not to take some photosof that.

 

3^rd November was a quite busy day. In the morning we went to the central Kolkata Esplanade (Dharmatala). Kalyanda like a skilled guide showed me everything on the way. After buying some woolen shirts we went to the College Street.Definitely, we had a cup of coffee at the Coffee House. Last I came here in 1989 and spent some good time with Rana.Now with renowned fast-food corners everywhere it looks very poor.Service was not that good, but people come here not for good coffee –like many things it is a tradition. Then we looked for some books. After that went to Baithakkhana to meet my cousin Manish.Unfortunately he left Kolkata for Puri last night. On the way saw people, mainly poor people living on the streets, some taking baths, some eating. While in Dhaka it is quite hard to move on foot (there is almost no footpath left), Kolkata has its footpaths all the way. Though some is quite dirty, but most of them walkable. You can walk, see people from different walks of life. Everyone is busy and visually happy. Time to time you can see someone taking bath, someone maintaining their households. Almost everywhere you find tea stalls with mud cups – cheap foods. Fuchka, piaNzi and many visually tasty foods call you all the way. And it takes a great effort to control your lust. In that sense yesterday I moved an inch forward towards the heaven and a day if counted in time). At one place a boy asked for some money. I didn't have Indian currency with me and only my credit card. I thought if everyone will use credit cards it would create a big trouble for the beggars as may they have to purchase special machine. What I noticed more is the number of temples. With so many real estate God should lead the Fobres list of the richest. From Baithakkhana we went to the Physics Department of Kolkata Universityto meet Prof. Amitava Raychowdhury. He was out of the station. But meet some other people there. It was nice to come here and spend some time. Hopefully I'll come back here in December and give a talk. Then we moved forward. On the way we passed the J.C. Bose Museum. This is the house where he lived. The museum is closed now for reconstruction. Just near to it J.C. Bose Institute. Standing at the gate I remember my recent visit to J.C. Bose house at Vikrampur. After that we went to Jorashako. I asked my brother if there was any twin bridge in Jorashako. It was after 4 p.m. The museum was closed. But I had the opportunity to see where one of the greatest minds of Bengali literature, Bengali Nation itself was born and brought up. Tagore is far greater than one can imagine, he is an endless treasure for Bengali Nation. After Jorashako we went to Baguigaht to meetthe Sun on the Ganges. But today my every attempt to meet someone personally suffers fiasco. After Manish and Amitavada, the Sun was also out of station. May be, he headed for some other Galaxy. Nevertheless, it was great to walk beside the houses of the greats like Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Girish Chandra, Sister Nibedita, Swami Vivekananda and many others. On the way I noticed some Mandaps where Jagadhatri puja was taking place. What is interesting, yesterday I witnessed her Bisarjan at one place, today in other places Puja is a tits zenith. Very flexible Goddess, a successful one inmarket economy era. At places I observed the Mandap occupying almost half of the road making traffic difficult. Nevertheless, traffic in Kolkata is far better than that in Dhaka. For the first time I saw auto-rickshaw here in Kolkata, though there are some traditional Kolkata Rickshaw (Man running the carriage) were in place. Finally, we came home around 6 p.m. I noticed all the bus stops were decorated with photos of renowned people – politicians, poets, artists, singer etc (as I noticed all from the past or recent past) and Ithought why not we in Dhaka can decorate our bus stops or other places with photos of Shamsur Rahman, Tazuddin Ahmed, Moni Singh, Rafiq andother our heroes. After plethora of photos of Seikh Hasina and Khaleda Zeya in Bangladesh I saw huge number of photos of Mamata Banerjee here. They could easily form a fimale trinity of Bengal Politics. My next destination was to meet Ashok Mama. We three brothers went there for dinner. Recalled other mamas, my mother and mashi. It was a short but entertaining get-together. For the first time I met my mami. She is suffering from cancer. But she did everything for us, including serving food and tea. She is a strong woman and loves her life and never gave any impression that she is suffering from cancer. Ashok mama himself is 75+ now. I remember him as a tall and healthy man. I saw him last in 1972. Now he looks like an ordinary man (may be because I am now taller than I was in 1972). And he is no longer a fleshy man. Few days ago, when I met Harmohan Sarker, my teacher from Baniajuri High School, I had the same impression. Those days they were taller, stronger, healthier. Now a days with me becoming a man they visually stand in the same footing with me. Another thing that I liked here is when the conductor fails to take the fare in time, those, about to leave the bus, call him and ask him to take the fare. Everyone feels that he should pay the fare. May be, they understand one can travel by bus without paying once or twice – but after that they may have to move for free forever, but on foot. As if he does not pay soon there will be no money to run the bus. To pay and pay in time is also a kind of culture that you haveto learn.

 

November 4^th is a government holiday here. In the morning I went to Madhayamgram tomeet Umesh Kaka, once a neighbor of ours, who left Bangladesh after liberation in search of better fortune and now an established businessman. I have known him as a bold and healthy man. Time took the tole and he too looks quite fragile. After Madhayamgram we went to Birati, to have a lunch at my cousin Chandana's house. She is a grandmother now, though only 4 years older than I. For the first time I met her husband, Sunil babu, now a retired person. Very lovely fellow. We went there by train. Almost no change since 1972. Compartments are full of people, some were sitting on the floor, playing cards or just looking out. I would love to take some photos but find it hard to take the camera. I could manage to take somephotos only from out of the train. I find it quite hard to imagine myself sitting there, though I myself lead very very simple life. But I found them quite content with what they have. After that we went to Swapanda. On he way enjoyed Maharam Procession. I've never seen so colorful Maharam back home. I could also manage to call back home and congratulate Gulya. It is our marriage day - already 19^th. Sometimes I wonder how could manage to be together so long with almost no intersection between us. We two are from completely different planets with endless vacuum between us. But I guess this vacuum is full of virtual particles undergoing creation and annihilation every single moment. May be, it is called virtual love? Yes, I love her, and so does she. She blames me as selfish. I agree. I love myself more than anyone else. And I love others only because Ilike to do that.

 

November 5^th was quite busy. In the morning I met my niece Mithu on the way to Indian Association for Cultivation of Sciences. It is situated near Jadavpur University, another place I love to go. I know a few researchers from Jadavpur, but with no contact numbers available I had to be content with just looking at the University wall. IACS is a very beautiful place. Founded in 1864 it was the birthplace of Indian Physical Science. C.V. Raman has worked here for several years. The theory group in IACS is quite impressive, most of the researchers I met were very young. Atmosphere is very friendly. They take lunch together in the cafeteria near the Mahedra Sarobar. There are some kureghars over there. Looking at them taking lunch in those kureghars you feel you are in some ashram. It is quite a heavenly atmosphere. After lunch they meet on the 3^rdfloor of the Centenary Building, the home of Theoretical physicists, to take coffee. As far as I understand they collect money to take coffee together. In fact, a friendly atmosphere is very important for a creative collective. There I found some people who are also interested in photography. So, after the seminar I met one of them and exchanged our views on that too.

From IACS we went to Dipuda, my cousin. Though already in his late 60s he looks quite young. We had a good chat. Dipuda left Bangladesh (then East Pakistan) in 1963, even before I was born. My brother Swapanda left Bangladesh when I was only six months old. Nevertheless, when we meet, we talk about people who they knew in their childhood. They can easily recall people, most of then I know too. But in most cases their description about the places differs from those I have seen afterwards. In fact, when even in Bangladesh I meet childhood friends, we talk about gone away days, we remember our school and college friends, want to know about their present conditions. But that is totally different. In Kolkata I met many people who left Bangladesh after partition in 1947 and after liberation in 1971. Even there are people who came to India relatively recently. They rememberBangladesh, their home with great affection, at the same time those are only memories from other life – previous life. Even after decades they can't imagine going back and spend some time at the places of their birth. Many old people die with a dream to visit their motherland, to breathe air of his land being unfulfilled. I know many young people who too want to visit the land of their forefathers. Now a days, hundreds of Bangladeshi people are visiting India, some for treatment, others for study. A public diplomacy is in place. I think our Government could take some steps to ease the visit of now Indians to the land of their ancestors. It not only strengthens the mutual trust, will also help our tourism sector.

 

6^th was a holiday – birthday of Guru Nanak. Another day to visit relations. In the morning we went to Swapanda. We three brothers began to talk about old days – about people who are now living only in our memories. I came to know about some relations I had no idea about their existence. Sometimes it makes sense to get together and recall oldies. In the afternoon we went to meet Jostna Boudi. She is another person from my childhood. When in 1969 and 1972 I visited India with my mother, we spent most of the time with her. I still remember those days in detail. Now she has retired. Looks older than she is. Sometimes it seems she is living in her memories.

7^th November was a great day. In the morning we went to the Indian Statistical Institute. My friend Subir Ghosh, who I met in the ICTP, Trieste, Italy in 2006, invited me to give a talk. There I met my nephew, son of my cousin, who is studying physics here. Some 20 people, most are young, attended the seminar. It was nice to come here and see what and how people here do research. Science in India began more than 100 years ago by the pioneers like Acharya J.C. Bose. It is great to see many young people coming to do physics.

Since ISI is not far from Dakkhineswar, we decided to visit that place. In my childhood I came here with my mother many times. We then often stayed with my grandfather at Kotrong, not far from Hind-motors. Sometimes, we went to Shandhyadi, my cousin, who lived in Uttarpara. Those days the roads were emptier, so sometimes from Uttarpara we went to Dakkhineswar on foot. We had to cross the Ganges. I liked to look at the monkeys who used to sit near the Panchavati. This time when we reached there the Sun had already dived into the Ganges. So, my plan to shoot the Sunset on the Ganges couldn't be realized. But the sky that day was beautiful, almost caught in fire. After that we went to Meet Shandhyadi who lives in the other side of the Ganges. Laksmi Jamaibabu looks very old, while Shandhyadi, though in her early 70's, looks quite fresh. There we spent about an hour. As usual, I had to eat there. On the way back we dropped at Swapanda's place. Next morning, I will have to move for Bhubaneswar. Though very busy and veryshort, my Kolkata days were very special. I couldn't visit Gorer Math, Eden Garden or many other famous places, but I watched common people living in this city with all its positives and negatives.

Oh yes, one more thing that the same in Kolkata, hope in West Bengal as well. In mychildhood or even later when I visited Kolkata, I found the buses stop everywhere when someone shows his hand. It is unique in the planet, I guess. I thought with the progress touching all spheres of public and privatelife, this might altogether vanish from the world. To my great surprise I saw the buses stop everywhere. Sometimes unpleasant reality, but it is a pleasant way back to memory.

 

Kolkata - Bhubaneswar, November 4 - 12, 2014
Pune, November 24, 2014